30 Days Second Semester: 2a, Leavetaking, Misc. Space

[aldersprig]

For the 30 Days Meme Second Semester, for the prompt "2) write a scene that takes place in a train station."

This seems to go with Missing (LJ Link).

The skies weren’t safe. They hadn’t been for so long, there were adults now who couldn’t imagine airplanes.

The trains weren’t always safe, either, but a one in forty chance of death was still better than a three in four chance. And, while we didn’t need to travel, they did. They needed to reach the few places where they could still punch through the sky.

I held her against me, tracing the small of her back, trying not to see the train pulling into the station. The steam trains had come back, along with so many other things we’d thought we’d left behind, forgotten, or lost.

I fingered the pearl buttons on her dress and kissed her again. I could be forgiven this indiscretion. She was leaving, and it would be well over a year before I saw her again.

She opened her mouth to say something to me, but the train whistle drowned her out. I could hate that train, in all its ancient rebuilt glory. I could hate it, the way I hated everything that took her from me.

But she needed me to be strong for her. She needed to know I would keep the home fires burning, so instead of wasting energy and time on hatred, I kissed her again.

“Fly safe and true,” I told her. Around me, other men were telling other women the same thing, many in the same words. “And fly back to me.”

I kept my hand on her back until she boarded the train. We weren’t supposed to remember, when they were gone. But her – her, I never forgot.

The List:
1a) the story starts with the words "It's going down." (LJ Link)
1b) the story starts with the words "It's going down." (LJ Link)
2) write a scene that takes place in a train station.

Comments

[meridian_rose]

Another sad piece.

[aldersprig]

This mini-'verse seems, so far, very sad. I suppose I should find a way to lighten it or give it meaning.

[eseme]

They can't use airplanes, but they seem to have things like spaceships that make it through the atmosphere safely? That confuses me.

Otherwise, yeah, very sad. Melancholy.

[aldersprig]

Ah, that's the question, isn't it?

Yes. They cannot fly, but they can, in certain places, punch through.

[(Anonymous)]

... it's clearly some sort of gigantic space slingshot. :P

[aldersprig]

:-D

[clare_dragonfly]

::cracks knuckles:: Here I go ;) Hopefully I'll get things mostly in order!

Sad and sweet. Are the women aliens? Or perhaps angels? The reference to the home fires makes me think they come visit for breeding purposes and leave the kids with the men.

Typo: "And ,while we didn’t"
Possible typo: "before I saw here again."

[aldersprig]

Are the women aliens? Or perhaps angels

Hunh. Maybe?

Thanks for the typo catches!!

[clare_dragonfly]

It was more of a suggestion than a question ;)

[aldersprig]

it wasn't the direction I'd intended, but it's an interesting one!